State Trooper Killed In Crash On I-91

CaptionMichael Pajak waits for a ride

Alan Chaniewski | FOX CT

Surrounded by photographers and reporters with no where to go, Michael Pajak looks for his ride to take him from court in Springfield, Mass. His ride left him at the courthouse, and later returned 25 minutes later. Next to him is his public defender, Ellie Rosenbaum.

Surrounded by photographers and reporters with no where to go, Michael Pajak looks for his ride to take him from court in Springfield, Mass. His ride left him at the courthouse, and later returned 25 minutes later. Next to him is his public defender, Ellie Rosenbaum. (Alan Chaniewski | FOX CT)

Trooper Kenneth Hall, who graduated from the state police academy 22 years ago Wednesday, was completing paperwork when a Dodge pickup truck rammed his car, said Lt. J. Paul Vance, a state police spokesman.

A shaken Vance said that Hall, a married father from Hartford, was assigned to commercial vehicle enforcement. Damage to the patrol car was "beyond belief," Vance said.

Hall was rushed to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, where he later died. Hall's family was taken to the hospital, and later Public Safety Commissioner James M. Thomas and state police commander Col. Thomas Davoren met with them. "We made sure they were taken care of," Vance said.

Hall was a respected trooper and a family man, Vance said. "He was just a great guy to work with and to have the privilege of knowing," Vance said.

The crash occurred between exits 48 and 49 shortly after 4 p.m. The Dodge pickup struck the state police car, propelling it forward, and then became airborne. "It was airborne and ended up about a tenth-of-a-mile down the road on the left side of the road," Vance said.

The driver of a pickup truck that the trooper had pulled over was standing on the grass on the side of the highway and saw the crash unfold, but he was not injured. He might have been correcting the violation for which Hall had pulled him over, Vance said.

The driver of the Dodge pickup truck and a woman passenger were "in extremely critical condition," Vance said. Both were taken to Baystate Medical Center. The driver of the Dodge pickup was described later Thursday as being in fair condition, a hospital spokesman said. Police did not release their names Thursday night.

Todd Bianco, who came upon the scene moments after the crash, said that debris was everywhere. The trooper's car was unrecognizable as a police car, he said.

Vance said that the state police accident reconstruction squad and major crime squad detectives were investigating.

Eighteen Connecticut state troopers have died in the line of duty since the department's founding in 1903. Two auxiliary troopers have also died in the line of duty. Of those 20, 12 died as a result of vehicle accidents or being struck by vehicles.

Traffic-related incidents have been the leading cause of death of law enforcement officers for the past 12 years, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. In 2009, 116 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty nationwide. Fifty-one of those died in traffic incidents.

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